Iran Focus
London, 7 Aug – A human rights activist has assessed that US sanctions on Iran may be a sign of shifting foreign policy, but they need to be backed up with action.
F. Mahmoudi, a Kurdish-Iranian social media journalist and political activist, wrote a piece for Al Arabiya English called “Are sanctions on Iran a sign of shifting US policy?” and noted that these sanctions had shocked the Iranian Regime but were not enough to end it outright.
Iran Focus
London, 7 Aug – Several Iranian politicians are facing a backlash from the Regime after rushing to taking selfies with a senior female EU diplomat at President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration last week.
In photos of the event, Federica Mogherini, current High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, appears shocked at the men’s rush to take a picture with her.
Iran Focus
London, 7 Aug – Sadegh Sistani, an Iranian human rights activist has detailed the true nature of the Iranian Regime’s prison system, which is far different from the picture painted by the mullahs during the recent open day at the notorious Evin Prison.
Of course, many countries refused to send ambassadors to officiate this farce, but some senior politicians were indeed fooled, with the Portuguese ambassador describing the conditions as “favourable”.
Iran Focus
London, 6 Aug – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that Iran is trying to destabilise its neighbour Afghanistan. Iran has been destabilising many countries in the region and it now seems that Afghanistan is on its list.
Tillerson confirmed that the US was collaborating with its allies in the Middle East to curb the Islamic Republic’s expansionist efforts that are destabilising Syria, Iraq and Yemen, among others.
Iran Focus
London, 6 Aug – Iran thought that if it agreed to halt its nuclear program, tens of billions of dollars would come flowing into the country via foreign investment. However, this never happened and many believe it is because of the US.
Over two years ago the nuclear deal was agreed between Iran and major world powers including the United States. It allowed the Islamic Republic to get control over the consequences of years of sanctions that crippled the country’s economy. Its oil export and production has risen but companies are still hesitant about doing business with Iran.
Iran Focus
London, 5 Aug – A report just published by Amnesty International named “Caught in a web of repression: Iran’s human rights defenders under attack” gives details about how the so-called “moderate” president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, is starting the second term of his presidency amid a significant crackdown.
It states that Iranian authorities are loosening their already loose regulations relating to the arrest of activists in the country. Punishments are becoming harsher and the death penalty is extremely overused.
Iran Focus
London, 5 Aug – The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, H.R. 3364, has now been signed by US President Donald Trump. The administration can now tackle the foreign adversaries that pose a threat to the US, such as the regimes in North Korea, Russia and Iran.
The administration knows that is has strong support from legislators with regards to Iran and North Korea. There is a consensus that strong action, even stronger than previous measures, needs to be taken.
By Jubin Katiraie
In Iran, the regime of the mullahs has been the focus of instability and extremism throughout the region. The international community has attempted to use appeasement and negotiation to create change within Iran, but the reality is that human rights continue to be ignored by this repressive regime.
The Iranian people want change. They don’t want to continue to live under this repressive regime, which uses torture, executions, and more to keep its people from enjoying even the most basic rights to choose what to wear and how to entertain oneself. Yet, unlike other countries in the Middle East that had no viable alternative to their dictatorships, Iran has a viable democratic alternative.
Iran Focus
London, 5 Aug – In remarks to the press on August 1st, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Iran of attempting to destabilizing neighboring Afghanistan. Tillerson said Washington was working with its allies in the region to minimize Iran’s efforts to destabilize certain countries including Afghanistan.
Iran Focus
London, 4 Aug – On Thursday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader criticized the new U.S. sanctions on Tehran that were signed by President Donald Trump the previous day. Khamenei vowed that Iran will continue its missile program despite international pressure. “The response to the hostility is to become stronger,” he said, and called the U.S. government “the top aggressor and the most shameless” enemy of Iran.
